RANGAMATI: The three-day Baisabi Utsab, the prime traditional festival of indigenous people of Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT), began in the three hill districts through floating flowers in rivers Saturday morning.

The hilly towns and villages of the three districts – the Rangamati, Khagrachari, Bardarban – took a festive looks on this occasion.

On 29 Chaitra of Bengali calendar, the festival started through ‘Phool Bijhu’ of indigenous Chakma, ‘Haribaisu’ of Tripura and ‘Shuchikaj’ of Marma ethnic groups.

The Chakma called the festival ‘Bijhu’ in the last two days of Bengali month ‘Chaitra’ and on the first day of ‘Baishakh’ while Tripura termed the fest ‘Baisu’, Marma ‘Sangraen’, Tanchangya ‘Bisu’, and Assamese called the fest ‘Bihu’.

The festivals are celebrated in many ways. Children and youth people enjoy the day by wearing new dress, visiting friends and relatives house and take ‘panchan’, a special vegetable dish prepared for the occasion.

In the Marma community, they also celebrate by playing some games called ‘pani khela’ widely known as ‘water festival’, ‘alari khela’ and ‘dha-thu’.

‘Garaia’ dance is very popular in the Tripura community. As a celebration of the festivals 10 to 100 artists perform the dance.

The main theme of this dance is to show their daily lives and the steps of Jum cultivation.

Some 12 indigenous communities of the CHT region have been observing the farewell to outgoing year and celebration of the New Year as their main socio-cultural festival since time immemorial.

In urban areaes, government officials, Non-Governmental Organizations, cultural institutes and civil society celebrate jointly by organizing rallies, fairs, games and competitions, cultural programs and publishing books and journals.

BDST: 1419 HRS APR 12, 2014